Bespoke Public Facilities in Sydney, AUS

A large vehicle collided with a bus shelter at an NSW Government Railway Station located within the Sydney metropolitan area. At Envista’s engagement, the damaged bus shelter structures had already been removed and disposed of.

Initially, the claimant presented separate quotes for the removal, reinstatement, and repair of damaged bus shelters. The quotes were supplied by government contracted engineers, who use government-contracted suppliers to manufacture materials, supply labour, plant, and equipment, and provide site supervision and temporary works. Due to contractual obligations, no competitive tendering was possible.

The appointed adjuster was concerned the new replacement bus shelter did not warrant the quoted costs, and in turn, instructed Envista Forensics to review submitted quotes and clarify repair and replacement cost options. 

The Inspection

Using a forensic quote analysis, Envista’s Quantity Surveyors examined all aspects of the claimed costs including project constraints, scope of works, repair methodologies, and differing options presented. Background research into public and private contract agreements was carried out, along with investigations and discussions with government contracted suppliers and appointed chief project engineers. Independent estimates were generated for each task and utilized for cost comparisons and price benchmarking purposes. The claimed quoted cost submitted totalled $190k (AUS).

The Outcome

It was concluded the bus shelters were custom designed, with only a single government-contracted manufacturer available to produce and deliver a replacement shelter. It was also discovered that multiple bus shelters were damaged at the time of the collision incident, with one shelter needing significant structural repairs, while another shelter was required to be completely removed and replaced. Additional Envista investigations determined that initial demolition and temporary make-safe works had already been completed by the government-engaged sub-contractor.

The job was also found to contain various site constraints including multiple night works, road closures, and the need for an accelerated project program to avoid public transport delays. Envista’s team noted many items in the quotes submitted that were incorrect, appeared excessive, should be omitted, or if other repair options were available.

Following examination, an alternative settlement figure for each separate quoted task was recommended by Envista’s Quantity Surveyor, totalling $140k. (AUS) resulting in significant savings for our client.